Chinese Superstitions Regarding Pregnancy and Childbirth

I came to know some Chinese superstitions about pregnancy and childbirth during the course of my own pregnancy and after giving birth. Some of them sounded weird to me, but since my mother insisted and I was watched over closely, I have to follow those that I believed did no harm anyway.

These are a few of them:

• A pregnant woman should not attend wakes or funerals.
• A pregnant woman should avoid going to weddings so as not to rob the newlyweds of their good luck.
• A pregnant woman should drink special herbal soups to ensure the safety of her baby.
• After giving birth, the new mother should not take a bath, or shower, or shampoo for at least a month. As much as possible, she should not leave the house, or be exposed to wind, because these would make her body weak and she will be prone to arthritis in the future.
  
• The new mother should eat "hot" foods to balance the energies. It is believed that childbirth with its blood loss makes the body "cold".
• People should avoid praising babies, because these would attract demons and ghosts who would bring harm upon the baby. Hence, unfavorable terms should be used.

I know Tsinoy mothers would find it hard not to follow these, since their mothers and mothers-in-law (if they were Chinese) would watch them like a hawk to ensure that tradition is followed. I just consoled myself with the fact that these are temporary and my mother was only thinking of my welfare and that of my baby. :)